Leifheit column: Great opportunities for our community

Amber Leifheit

Giving money back is what the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is all about. The Community Foundation has given back grants totaling more than $3.6 million to our community.

The MACF supports programs and events compatible with its mission: Connecting people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the Marshfield area. The Foundation makes grants for education, recreational, artistic/cultural, conservation, community enrichment and development and other charitable purposes. Agencies or organizations applying for funds must be serving citizens of the greater Marshfield area. We are requesting groups applying for funding for our 2014 grants.

As our Vital Signs report showed, there is significant need right now in our community. Community grants are our best means of responding to new or changing charitable needs. Community grants are discretionary grants awarded to nonprofits on a competitive basis. Last year we supported the Marshfield Area United Way and the Loads of Love Program ($1,080), the Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth with the Marshfield Area Parent Network Dinners ($1,200), Clark County HCE and the Wisconsin Bookworm Project ($500), Friends of the Mead/McMillan Wildlife to partially fund a new kiosk at the McMillan Marsh ($342), New Visions Gallery to provide exhibit tours for student groups ($900), Samoset Council, Boy Scouts for their Science Technology and Math initiative at camp ($500), Nutrition on Weekends for school age children who don't have enough food to eat on weekend ($2,000), and Keep Kids Warm to provide warm coats to school age children ($15,000).

A second source of discretionary grants is The Senior Citizens Fund that addresses the needs of our senior population. We supported Central Chamber Chorale, which commissioned new music to honor Dr. Joseph Ousley ($500), Palm Sunday Chorus Corp., which had original music written for its anniversary notated and published ($300), Companion Day Services to purchase a new stove hood ($500), and LuCille Tack Center to fund Salsabrosa performance at the 2014 Cultural Fair ($500), and the Friends of the Mead/McMillan Wildlife to partially fund a new kiosk at the McMillan Marsh ($158).

Another source of special funding is the Women's Giving Circle Fund. This fund awards grants to programs that address the needs of women and/or children. The Women's Circle supported the Personal Development Center to support education to prevent youth domestic abuse and dating abuse program ($950), Nutrition on Weekends for school age children who don't have enough food to eat on weekends($700) and Keep Kids Warm to provide warm coats to school age children ($411). The Women Helping Others Golf Outing has supports the Women's Giving Circle Fund.

Guidelines and applications for these grant opportunities are available on our website. The deadline is June 1.

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Leifheit column: Great opportunities for our community

Giving money back is what the Marshfield Area Community Foundation is all about. The Community Foundation has given back grants totaling more than $3.6 million to our community.

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